Corsets Custom Made

Recipes: Brenda Costigan with teatime treats

Tea drinking hit England in 1661, when Charles II married the daughter of the king of Portugal, where tea drinking was already a habit.

However, it didn't become really popular until one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, Anna, Duchess of Bedford, who couldn't stand the long gap between the two meals of the day (breakfast and dinner -- no lunch!), asked her servants to bring her tea at four o'clock. This grew into afternoon tea, very much a ladies' event -- so much so that they decided corsets could be left off and tea dresses became fashionable. Posh people in Ireland then adopted the custom and it is a nice way to entertain friends, both women and men, without the fuss of serving a meal.

Small sandwiches and little cakes, with a larger cake as a centrepiece, all presented in a pretty, feminine way, make up typical afternoon-tea fare.

SUMMER SPONGE CAKE

(Pictured)

Light as a feather, an egg sponge is a wonderful summer recipe. Poached blueberries are a delicious moist filling.

You will need:

4 large eggs (at room temperature -- not cold from the fridge)

110g (4oz) caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

110g (4oz) flour (not self-raising), sifted

Poached blueberries (see below)

1-2 tablespoons blackcurrant jam

200ml fresh cream, whipped

1-2 teaspoons caster sugar (optional)

Strawberries and blueberries, to decorate

Use two sandwich tins, 18cm (7in) in diameter. Grease the tins with butter and dust with flour. Ideally, put a circle of baking parchment in the base of the prepared tin to make turning out simple.

Preheat the oven to 190 C, 375 F, Gas 5. Lightly whisk the eggs with an electric mixer, then add the caster sugar and the vanilla essence. Whisk until pale and doubled in volume -- maybe 3-5 minutes, or more, depending on the temperature of kitchen and so on. You can judge when you have whisked the mixture sufficiently by lifting up the beaters. The trail of mixture should fall back in a thick ribbon into the bowl and should hold its shape on the surface for about 40 seconds before sinking back in.

Add the sifted flour and, using a metal spoon, gently stir and 'cut' the flour through the mixture, taking care to preserve the little air bubbles, until well mixed. Pour at once into the prepared tins, spreading carefully or tilting the tins to spread the mixture evenly, and put into the oven without delay. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the sponge springs back when pressed lightly with your finger. The edges of the sponge will be drawing away ever so slightly from the side of the tins. Turn out on to a wire tray to cool completely.

Corset Forum and Chat: Searching for the Ideal Corset

Hi Fluitje

A corset style with a straight top line is good for the male posture unless you are looking to achieve a feminine shape.  Something like our Dido top, however, the hemline is better if it's straight or just slightly scooped like the Venus corset:
http://www.corsetheaven.com/CAT_ListCategories.aspx?cid=657&pid=621&Category=Corsets-for-taller-people

It therefore makes sense to get a corset custom made to your requirements (we charge just £30 extra for this service).

What waist size do you currently lace down to and what would you like to lace down to?

Also as you are looking at an overbust corset, I would need to know the measurements around your chest.

CorsetHeaven



Thank you for your quick reaction.
I took some measurements:
My unlaced waist is currently 36 inch.

I am currently lacing up to 30 inch, most of the times 32 inch.
In the near future I would like to be able to lace up to 28 inch.

I also took some additional measurements:
My hips are currently 40 inch.
My chest is currently 40 inch.

Are the Dido and Venus corsets you mentioned still valid options with the information I presented above? If so, please let me know and I will order one of them during the coming days.

Thanx..
Both options are valid but would need to be ordered as a made to measure option.

If you are looking for a more feminine bustline, then select the Venus corset.  For a masculine outline, the dido. 

It would be helpful if you could send an email once you have ordered, explaining the shape you wish to achieve with the corset as a masculine shape will have a slightlylower waistline than a feminine one.

It's no problem shipping to a P.O box in the Netherlands.

The corset, a cultural history

Miscellaneous series / (United States. Bureau of Manufactures).

Ladies' home journal

The New Yorker

The International journal of surgery